Framed rods with blocks forming a mosaic toy

ABSTRACT

This disclosure teaches a toy which includes a frame having a base on which rods are arranged vertically in a row and are spaced from each other. A large number of blocks depend from the rods and surfaces on one side of the blocks combine to form puzzle-like shapes and patterns of different colors. The blocks are mounted between adjacent rods. The blocks also can be provided with relief on the surfaces thereof. In one embodiment, the blocks are provided with a single opposing pair of grooves sized to accomodate adjacent rods. In another embodiment, the blocks are provided with grooves on all of their edges, thereby enabling the blocks to be disposed between adjacent rods in any of four orientations.

United States Patent 1 [111 3,921,330

Drieze 1 1 Nov. 25, 1975 l l FRAMED RODS WITH BLOCKS FORMING FOREIGNPATENTS OR APPLICAJLIONS A MOSAIC TOY [76] Inventor: Hieronimus RobertDrieze,

Haaksbergerstraat 219-221, Enschede, Netherlands [22] Filed: Nov. 29,1972 [21] Appl. No.: 310,385

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 31, 1972 Germany 7220330[U]Sept. 2, 1972 Germany 7232502[U] [52] US. Cl 46/16; 35/73; 273/157 R;273/D1G. 27 [51] Int. Cl? A63H 33/12 [58] Field of Search 273/157 R;35/73; 46/16 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 364,465 6/1887Ashborn 273/157 R 1,960,216 5/1934 Schacht 273/157 R 1,997,501 4/1935Sweney 1 273/157 R 3,302,311 2/1967 Israel 273/157 R UX PrimaryExaminer-Anton O. Oechsle Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Charles E. Baxley[57] ABSTRACT This disclosure teaches a toy which includes a framehaving a base on which rods are arranged vertically in a row and arespaced from each other. A large number of blocks depend from the rodsand surfaces on one side of the blocks combine to form puzzle-likeshapes and patterns of different colors. The blocks are mounted betweenadjacent rods. The blocks also can be provided with relief on thesurfaces thereof. In one embodiment, the blocks are provided with asingle opposing pair of grooves sized to accomodate adjacent rods. Inanother embodiment, the blocks are provided with grooves-on'all of theiredges, thereby enabling the blocks to be disposed between adjacent rodsin any of four orientations.

1 Claim, 8 Drawing Figures US. Patent Nov. 25, 1975 Sheet10f3 3,921,330

US. Patent N0v.25, 1975 Sheet20f3 3,921,330

US. Patant Nov. 25, 1975 Sheet 3 of3 3,921,330

FRAMED RODS WITH BLOCKS FORMING A MOSAIC TOY CROSS REFERENCE Thisapplication is based on German application G 72 330.6 filed May 31, 1972and on German application G 72 32 502.1 filed Sept. 2, 1972.

INVENTION The object of this invention is to provide a toy which isparticularly intended for small children, about in the age group ofthree years old, which develops manual dexterity, a sense of shapes andcolors and a skill in simple combinations.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a toy ischaracterized by a frame having a base on which rods of equal crosssection and of the same height are arranged vertically .in a row and arespaced equally apart, and by a large number of blocks of the same area,the width alone of which or the width and height of which correspond tothe spacing between the rods, and which have on their narrower sides atleast two grooves facing each other, each of which surrounds half of oneof the rods. The blocks can also be provided with grooves on all theirnarrower sides and have square surfaces and the bars may be of round,square, oval or rectangular cross section. The blocks are provided onthe surfaces of one side with puzzle-like shapes and patterns ofdifferent colors, while the other side usually is a solid color. Theblocks can also be provided with a relief on one surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be explained infurther detail below with reference to the drawings showing variousillustrative embodiments. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toy in accordance with one embodimentof the invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the toy of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a block of the toy of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another version of a block for the toyof FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 shows a design card for one block pattern.

FIG. 6 shows various examples of combinations of blocks.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in FIG. 1, rods 2 arearranged vertically at an equal distance apart on a base having theshape of a thick, flat strip of wood 1. These rods are of equal heightand have the same cross section. The overall arrangement hasapproximately the appearance of a very large, coarse comb with teetharranged far apart. Between the rods 2, blocks 3 are arranged. Theseblocks 3 are so developed that their outer surfaces have the samedimensions. The surfaces are preferably square.

The height therefore corresponds to the width of the block, while thethickness or depth can be substantially less; it is, however, at leastapproximately twice as large as the diameter of the rods 2. At at leasttwo narrower sides which are opposite each other, the blocks 3 areprovided with grooves 4. These grooves have such dimensions that theyextend halfway around the rods 2, so that in each case two adjoiningblocks 3 together with the adjoining grooves completely surround a rod 2and the outer surfaces of the blocks 3 directly adjoin each other.

All spaces between the rods 2 are filled with blocks 3 to the fullheight. The blocks 3 are introduced from above into the spaces betweenthe rods 2 by, so to say, threading the opposing grooves 4 onto adjacentrods 2. Another embodiment of blocks as shown in FIG. 4 is provided onall of its narrow sides with grooves which half surround the rods 2. Inthe case of these blocks, introduction between the rods 2 can beeffected in any manner; they can be inserted between the rods with oneside facing downward or else with an immediately adjoining side tilteddownward. Of course, such blocks have square outer surfaces on bothsides corresponding to FIG.'4, or the shape remaining between thegrooves is square and corresponds in the dimensions of the side lengthsthereof to the free space between two adjoining rods. Incontradistinction to this, blocks in accordance with FIG. 3 can bedeveloped also as flat rectangles or as high rectangles, the length ofthe side of the base surface corresponding in each case to the distancebetween two rods 2 and the height being as desired. If the blocks 3 haveouter surfaces which are other than square, it is important, however,for the heights of the outer surfaces of all the blocks to be the same,or else to be in a given ratio to each other, so that when using all theblocks in the spaces between the rods 2, a uniform upper closure isobtained.

On their outer surfaces, the blocks may be provided with a simplecolored pattern merely on one side. An illustrative distribution andarrangement of this patterning can be noted from the accompanyingpattern cards shown in FIG. 5. There are concerned here the simplestpossible and easily noted geometrical shapes, for instance the diagonaldivision of the square into two areas and different coloring of thesetwo areas, so as to result in two triangles; coloring of the entiresurface in a single color; inscribing of a 90 sector with one side ofthe square as radius, and also different coloring of the areas thusproduced; inscribing of a circle in the square having a diameter equalto the side of the square, or the inscribing of a plurality of smallercircles located one within the other. The blocks having these differentshapes in different colors on an outer surface can then be assembled invarious manners in the fashion of a puzzle, the shapes and colors on oneouter surface of the block which are not used in the specific case beingturned on their back, so that a solid colored background is provided asframing for the combined form. In this way there can be assembled notonly preestablished forms but also new forms created by the freeexercise of imagination.

FIG. 6 shows different possibilities for the use of the blocks and thedevelopment of figures or pictures by combination of the differentgeometrical forms on the outer surface of the blocks.

When constructing a given shape, it is not only necessary to develop acertain manual dexterity in order to introduce the blocks correctly intothe spacings between the individual rods, but it is also necessary todevelop for the assembly a specific system since, in order to develop apicture, it is necessary in all cases to commence with the lowermostblocks and build up the picture from this, so that the child must thinkover the precise sequence in which the individual blocks are to bearranged in the lowermost row and then in the next row, and further inthe higher rows. By means of this childs toy, a large number ofdifferent skills on the part of the child are furthered and developed.

Instead of or in addition to the different coloring and patterning ofthe blocks on at least one outer surface thereof, a relief-like shapingcan also be imparted to the blocks; in this way one furthermore servesto develop the childs tactile sense, and it is furthermore possible forthis toy to be used even by blind children.

i The above-described simple geometrical shapes can, for instance, beset off at different heights from each other at their dividing lines onthe surfaces of the blocks which are of different colors, so thattheseshapes canea'sily be detected by sense of touch and combinedcorrespondingly into patterns, shapes or figures uponassembly. Theadvantage of the childs toy in accordance with the invention-residesalso in the fact that as many different combinations as desired arepossible since the blocks are of identical shape at the adjoining edges,and therefore do not dovetail into each other. Merely the colors andshapes arranged on the surfaces of the blocks need be brought intorelationship to each other, resulting in a large number of possiblevariations. Once a pattern has been constructed, a firm connection canbe obtained by the mechanical connection via the grooves and rods andthe assembly will not immediately fall apart when moved.

I claim:

1. A toy comprising in combination the following:

a frame having a base on which rods of the same cross section arearranged vertically in a row at equal distances each from anotherthereof,

a large number of parallelepipedic blocks each having a square face witha length substantially equal to the distance between adjacent of therods and each block having four sides,

each of the blocks having a groove on each of its sides, each of whichgroove is disposable to half surround one of the rods,

each of the blocks provided on its face with puzzle like patterning ofdifferent coloring.

1. A toy comprising in combination the following: a frame having a baseon which rods of the same cross section are arranged vertically in a rowat equal distances each from another thereof, a large number ofparallelepipedic blocks each having a square face with a lengthsubstantially equal to the distance between adjacent of the rods andeach block having four sides, each of the blocks having a groove on eachof its sides, each of which groove is disposable to half surround one ofthe rods, each of the blocks provided on its face with puzzle-likepatterning of different coloring.